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Cruising Excursions appoints Martin Lomax to drive growth

Cruising Excursions.com has appointed Martin Lomax as its new sales director to help drive growth through the trade.

Lomax, who has held senior sales roles at both Gold Medal and Thomas Cook, will report into managing director Damien Mooney.

He joins from home shopping channels company, High Street TV, where he was international director.

Cruising Excursions.com says it has grown from offering 240 European excursions at 60 Mediterranean ports five years ago to 12,000 trips at 700 ports worldwide today and employs 35 members of staff.

Lomax said: “It is my responsibility to build on this success, to work closely and grow travel agent partnerships and ensure that more UK and overseas traveller experience the great value excursions and tours.”

Mooney said: “Martin is well established and respected in the UK travel trade. His results driven and strategic approach, drive, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and in-depth knowledge of the industry will all serve to further build on Cruising Excursions’ position as the leading shore excursion provider in the UK.

“Business is booming and Martin will be invaluable to help implement our expansion plans.”

Chairman John Wimbleton said the business has got to a position where “everywhere there is a cruise ship, there is a Cruising Excursions tour”.

He said there is space for both excursion specialists and cruise lines to sell add-on trips in a growing industry.

“The market is big enough for us [and the cruise lines] to co-exist. One doesn’t have to worry about the other.

“We are not the bogey man.

"All we’ve done is increase the awareness of the fact that you can book excursions. If the cruise lines were doing their job properly then 100% we wouldn’t be here today.”

Cruising Excursions offers a price match guarantee, commission rates of up to 16% and guarantees to get its passengers back in time for departure.

The company is due to launch a new website which it says will be easier for agents to navigate.

The company said its booking rates are typically 50% trade and 50% direct.

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